The Importance Of Free Speech

This year’s election alone has brought about many emotions and deep rooted feelings that have not come out in years. Hate speech and actions carried out because of hate speech has cause a deep division in American culture. Groups like “Black Lives Matter”, “All Lives Matter”, and “Alt-Right” are all under fire for things that have been said or done in the names of these groups. There has been terrorist attacks in the names of religious groups whom believe that a newspaper or group has insulted their religion, beliefs, and gods. Not to mention our own President Elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has been accused of fueling much of the hate speech we see today. This begs the question, should freedom of speech have any restrictions or be limited in any way, or is that unconstitutional? To look at this we must first identify what “Freedom of Speech” is as defined in the constitution and how it relates to current issues in the world and in America, then I will talk about some situations where regulation is already put in place in America, lastly we will look at some situations where I believe freedom of speech could use some clarification or restriction.

When I was young, I thought freedom of speech was the right say and write what you want and everyone who saw would have to except those words. As I got older and the world seemed a little bit colder, I realized that I was right to an extent, but I didn’t fully grasp true freedom of speech as a child. Eventually, while my new understanding isn’t all too different, I did find that my new way of thinking was better off to be heard. Now I see that freedom of speech isn’t exactly the right to say what you want and when you want, but is actually the right to say it without fear of being prosecuted. While many don’t see much of a difference from that, it’s a world’s difference to me. This may be the case, but my own personal opinion on the matter

In this day and age, we are subject to many instances of harmful hate speech, even if it is not directed toward us. The current legal standing in the United States state that the government cannot limit speech on the basis of its content. Thus, speech cannot be censored because its message is racist, religious, sexist, or inspirational. While the prevailing attitude in the American judicial

I believe free speech in America is slowing depleting even though the first amendment of

“Good citizens know they’re accountable for their actions (someone has said, “My right to swing my arm ends when my fist hits your nose.”)  There are those, however, who tend to forget that they also are held accountable for their words.  That’s how laws against libel and slander are sustained.” (Zonder)  There is no way to determine what will be offensive to one person, but not the next.  “For example, many African- Americans view the American classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as and example of hate speech.” (Wolfson)  Words can be very powerful.  If it is offensive, don’t read it or listen to it.  It is as simple as that.

One of the most complex things in establishing in a government is determining how much freedom the citizens in a society has. Throughout history many different types of governments have been formed ranging from North Korea’s dictatorship to the United States democratic government. In societies that have democratic governments such as the United States and many other Western European countries, the citizens have a high degree of freedom of speech. In addition, these citizens have a high degree of freedom of thought. Although these are both very important to have in society because they allow you to express who you truly are, there is a difference between freedom of speech and freedom of thought. While there is a difference, English Philosopher John Stuart Mill provides his views on the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of thought in his book On Liberty.

Regulating free speech is as tricky as juggling an egg. Not a easy subject at all it takes time and focus to really perfect and master it .Freedom of speech is in the first amendment of the united states constitution ,it is “the right to articulate your ideas without having fear of the government”. Although that is what it states , you still cannot do and say as you please and anyone who thinks other wise is naive .

The foundation of the United States of America can be boiled down to 3 historical documents. Those 3 documents are the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights serves to protect the rights of the individual. From the freedom of the press to the freedom to bear arms. One of the most debated rights or freedoms was the right to free speech. Americans have debated what exactly the right to free speech entails since the bill of rights was written in 1792 by James Madison. Strictly speaking, freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech . . .” (U.S. Constitution). What exactly free speech protects or doesn’t protect has evolved over the course of America’s history. Free speech is one of the most important individual rights and therefore when free speech is possibly threatened or infringed upon it is a big deal especially when the person in Question who could possibly be impinged on Free Speech is the President of the United States. The situation in question surrounds the NFL players protesting the National Anthem through various actions. Many people felt that the players were disrespecting the flag, the country, and the soldiers who fight to protest the country. President Trump responded to this situation during a September 22nd rally in Alabama stating that

In the United States, the 1st amendment in the Constitution was created to protect the citizen’s rights to speak, practice religion, assemble, petition, and publish freely without government interference.However, throughout the years the freedom of speech since it was inputted into the constitution in the Bill of Right in intention to control over the concern of too much governmental control. Through the years in additional amendment was added, the fourteenth amendment. Which extends limitation to state government on law which may prohibit or abridge the people’s right to assemble peacefully. As a result causing an effect toward the 1st amendment that gave the right freely and contradict it actual liberty. With the Supreme court to take a stance on what now is freedom of speech is under court.

I believe in being able to speak freely and the First Amendment right of free speech. Too often, people experience criticism for having the “wrong” opinion. I find it hard to even have a decent debate anymore without becoming infuriated because of the insults being made about me due to my opinions. If we are to ever achieve progress in not only the US, but the world, we need to have the ability to talk with each other in a positive manner.

Imagine that a group of students are interested in the same things but the school will not allow them get together and talk about their interests. This makes students and parents furious and they disagree with the school. School clubs should not be monitored because it violates the the First Amendment, it demonstrates valuable skills,and it enables children to develop character.

What exactly entails of freedom of speech? It is the right to communicate fully your ideas and opinions without having to be afraid of how the government will retaliate or censor your words or sanction by the society at large. To have your own ideas put across rightly is a precious thing owing to the rights of humans. Freedom of speech is a right given to all Americans through the bill of rights, freedom from speech is not.

In the USA people are allowed the right to express their opinion openly without the risk of backlash from others who are offended by it. Freedom of speech is a very important privilege that our founding father felt should be instilled in the government to promote democracy. Being able to express one’s own opinions and concerns openly without the risk of being executed or put in prison by the king, was an important part of their political view. This was a major concern that was very important for the founding fathers, and for that reason it was the first concern that was addressed when they were creating the laws of this new government. This in theory, would assist and allow the people of the USA to have a voice in running its’ own government. The first amendment allows freedom of speech to its people and welcomes open discussion on handling government issues. Though freedom of speech is important to allow self-expression, sometimes freedom of speech in relation to personal issues can cause conflict and opposing views between individuals. Some may use or even abuse the privilege of the first amendment to make offensive comments that affect others in a negative way. In this essay I will be presenting an example of a court case of Morse v. Frederick that test the boundaries of free speech, and how examples from this case effect both sides of the argument, and in addition

Free speech is as synonymous with America as the bald eagle, Old Glory or a slugfest on the gridiron. However, this seemingly inborn right most Americans take for granted has fallen under attack in recent years. The attack on free speech has come directly from the left, and is focused squarely on free speech as it relates to conservative voices. The limitation on such speech seems to only apply when the ideas expressed differ from those on the left. At least this appears to be the case when it comes to the free speech standards at ESPN according to the most recent occurrence at the network.

Drawing on the above videos and any other resources available on FIRE’s website, explain in 800-1000 words why free speech is so important to higher education, and why censorship undermines the ideals of liberal education and a free society.